Game Review

Super Mario Galaxy 2 Review

Where do you begin when talking about the Super Mario franchise and what it's brought to video gaming over the years? The series has single-handedly defined Nintendo and its consoles over the past 25 years and is showing no signs of slowing down at this point. The original Super Mario Galaxy introduced so many new gameplay facets to the series and found ways to make use of the Wii's unique controls that perfectly exemplified what Nintendo's entire gameplay system was all about.

Now Nintendo has taken that basic formula and attempted to squeeze in as many new gameplay iterations as possible to form a worthy sequel to their original Wii hit. Gamers that thought they'd seen it all in the original Super Mario Galaxy are about to find out just how many stops the developers at Nintendo can pull out when they set out to create the ultimate sequel.

At first glance, the actual construction of Super Mario Galaxy 2 very closely resembles that of the first Wii release. Many of Mario's moves remain intact, but rather than just toss in a few token new moves to mix things up, the developers have inserted an absolutely staggering number of new gameplay twists for our fiery plumber to use, as diverse as the ability to create and climb a series of clouds to the power to turn Mario into a thundering boulder capable of smashing his way through areas not normally accessible. And the moves themselves are only the beginning of the surprises Nintendo has in store for you, as the mechanics strung throughout the levels themselves are every bit as unique and playable, maybe even more so than its stellar predecessor in some cases.

Of course, fans of Mario's green dinosaur sidekick are in for a treat as well, as Nintendo has not only introduced Yoshi into the Super Mario Galaxy universe, its also created quite a few unique gameplay moves and special powers for him as well. Everything from using his trademark tongue to grab items and enemies to using it to swing to previously unreachable areas throughout the various levels created specifically for him. The controls even manage to take on a different feel when you're aboard Yoshi and, when combined with the unique challenges of his levels, you've got a very nice change of pace that will continue to keep on popping up throughout the game.

The basic goal is to collect the Power Stars located somewhere in each of the game's levels, or galaxies. Many galaxies even have multiple stars that you can go back and retrieve after you've nabbed the initial star. You'll need certain numbers of stars in order to progress on to the next galaxy in most cases, so there will be times when you'll be forced to go back to previously played galaxies in order to pick up additional Power Stars. Instead of the large hub world of the first game, Nintendo has chosen to go with a more streamlined world map reminiscent of the Mario games of old; while a lack of this hub might seem like a bit of a sad omission at first, you'll soon come to appreciate the quick and intuitive feel of the world map. It also tends to make going back for other Power Stars a lot faster and easier for those looking to jump into levels with the least amount of hassle.

As you progress through the game, you'll learn new techniques around every corner. At times it feels like there is no end to the sheer number of control finesses the developers have been able to squeeze into the game. If you thought the level designs in Super Mario Galaxy were a bit too predictable and lacking in challenge, you're going to love the far more intricate level layouts and higher degree of difficulty found here. Not only that, but there are more enemies, more bosses and in general a much more intense pace to this sequel that will challenge even the most seasoned platformer fans. And if you thought the boss fights in Galaxy 1 were fun, you haven't seen anything like the ones in this adventure.

Like the first go-round, Nintendo has found a way to include a second player in all of the fun by allowing them to take control of a Luma Star using a second Wii Remote. While the second player won't be able to actively move the Luma around, they will be able to use its cursor powers to gather up Star Bits, not to mention stun and defeat enemies as a means of helping Mario out along the way. New for the sequel is the ability for the second player to grab pickups (coins, for instance) from around the stage and pull them to Mario. It might seem like a rather trivial inclusion, but it's still a nice way to involve another player without taking too much away from the single-player experience at hand.

To say that the actual controls of Super Mario Galaxy are smooth and responsive would be a gross understatement. Not only is executing the basic set of Mario's moves a breeze, but the developers have managed to give Yoshi a feel all his own and somehow find an extremely enjoyable way of using his trademark tongue to take the game's already solid gameplay engine to new heights. It's certainly nice to see that they didn't try to force his gameplay variances into the system without taking the time to get it right. When you combine these spot-on controls with the higher degree of challenge and far more devious level layouts, you get a game that's absolutely overflowing with playabilty and it just seems to get better and better the further in you delve. It's easily one of, if not the most playable first-party Nintendo titles ever created and one that will keep you glued to your television for weeks.

As if it weren't enough to fill Super Mario Galaxy 2 with loads of new gameplay ideas, the developers didn't exactly skimp when it came time to put the visuals together for the game. It still retains much of the look the original featured, but there seems to be a lot more polish to the levels, especially the scenery in the backgrounds. The enemies and characters themselves are also equally impressive, and it's nice to see many familiar faces from Super Mario releases of old strung throughout the game. While there will inevitably be those who still complain about the game not featuring HD visuals, you can't deny the overwhelming graphical charm and detail marinated into the game, and its quite clear that Nintendo know just how to squeeze every single inch of visual processing power out of the Wii console and put it to good use.

The musical score has long been a trademark aspect of the Super Mario series and this release is no exception to that rule. You'll find not only many of the classic tunes of past Super Mario releases, but a staggering number of new ones to enjoy as well. Everything from big band swing to tracks with a slight country twang to them, they all work in harmony to set the mood for each of the various themes throughout the game's many levels. Even many of the sound effects harken back to the 8- and 16-bit era Super Mario Bros. games and have never sounded better being played through the Wii console's Dolby Pro-Logic II surround sound capabilities. As solid as some of Nintendo's first-party offerings have been from an audio standpoint, you won't find a better show-off title than this one. It's even better than many of the audio presentations found on competing consoles.

Conclusion

It's abundantly clear that the team behind Super Mario Galaxy 2 weren't trying to re-invent the wheel when it came time to put this sequel together. Instead they basically took everything that was great about the original Super Mario Galaxy and made it even bigger and better. Truth be told, it's nearly impossible to find even one small thing to gripe about, and believe us, we tried. Every once in a while a video game comes along that's just so spectacular that it ends up defining the very system it's released on and raises the bar by which all other games in the series and genre will be judged. It's safe to say that game has now arrived on the Wii console. Consider the bar officially raised.

Less then 24 hours! Hopefully Walmart will let me have a copy at midnight just like they did with New Super Mario Bros. Wii! Also good review...all these 10/10s....could it eventually tie Ocarina of Time on Metacritic? Hmmm....

I know everyone hates metacritic but.... damn. This game is going well beyond what I have expected critically. I mean I expected it to be good but this is nuts! Nothing on metacritic is bellow 9 and there are HEAPS of 10s. Crazy good for a sequel.

Well due to the way the game uses gravity and flipping around, there are times when you'll find yourself in all sorts of odd angles and movements. So I guess the short answer is yes. But it's not as bothersome as I found a few sections of SMG1. In some ways, however, due to the very intricate movements of the levels and stuff, if this is something that you're rather touchy about, I would approach this game with caution. You're going to get flipped around every way imaginable in this game, as will the levels in many cases. LOL.

Oh yeah, a superb review to evaluate this spectacular game! I say "Yippee for Yoshi" and I like that the new hub makes this game snappy and accessible.

Excuse my retro leanings, but I can't wait to play along to a Super Mario World tune in this, and I am looking forward to when Super Mario Galaxy 2 switches to a traditional 2D perspective like it did in the first game. This is simply awesome all round. Right round planets baby, right round!

I absolutely loved Super Mario Galaxy. Yet the only problems I had with it were the 'too easy' Bosses and the annoying Hub World. Thank god SMG2 brings back the Retro-like Map from the old, which makes the experience quicker and easier to navigate. And the fact that this is a tad more challenging is a nice welcome. I'm SOOOOO pumped to get this hehe, but who isn't?

The entire game as a whole (including the bosses) was more challenging this time around. And I'll admit, the boss fights are honestly the highlight of the game, in my opinion. Some of them were absolutely insane!

I'd probably give the embargo sheet an 8. I'd like to have seen more color in the page and the huge list of indents was a bit hard to stare at. Nice weight and texture of paper though. Nintendo doesn't skimp on quality paper products. Gotta love that.

I got all 152 stars on the first game and i am up for the challenge on this one. How many stars are there to get do we know in SMG2? I hope we don't have to play through the whole game again as Lugi to get extra stars/levels because that did annoy me a bit in SMG.

Even the embargo sheet got a good score! This game is so fantastic that everything about it can't be anything but great. Looks like this time around a sequel totally outdoes its predecessor, and, given that it was his majesty SMG, that wasn't easy at all!

This wait pains me!!! I can make it to tomorrow, I can make it to tomorrow......

@Scotie Multiple reviews have said something to the effect of "There's a super special treat for hardcore Mario players after 120 stars." And I have also read that there are actually 240 stars in the game. I'm not sure what it all means, but, it has to mean something! Is it Sunday yet!??!!?!?!?!?

I'm a little concerned (from all the screenshots / videos I've seen) that the levels may be even more linear than in the last game. Are there still some levels in which you have a larger area to explore a bit more freely, or is there always a particular path you'll be guided along to the next star?

Ive been gaming for 25 years and Galaxy was one of the most over rated games I've ever played. After beating the game I couldn't even force through the full coin collection. Camera, control, difficulty (lack of), etc were way to many to grant the high reviews. Tons of originality but little replay value. (Ive 120 stared Mario 64 prob 10 times)

I might get this down the road, Tri, Klonoa and Sin and Punishment 2 have me perfectly happy right now. I will def give it a rental.

@Starcross64.Nah man, this isn't that kind of game. This isn't an example of videogames as an artform--this is a videogame that prides itself on unbridled creativity and entertainment.Shadow of Colossus, however...that mind change his mind.

ONM 97% (highest mark for a Wii game); N-Gamer 98% (highest ever mark for any Nintendo game in history); NL 10/10 (best reviewers of the lot obviously); IGN 10/10 (they dislike the Wii); Gamespot 10/10 (6th game ever to get 10)Edge Magazine 100% (and they are a very wierd bunch)

.....that's good enough for me!!!!

Another all time great video game? Perhaps the greatest of all time? We'll see eh.

Could've predicted this would get a 10/10; how could they get it wrong really!? The level designs and everything else sound outstanding.

"ONM 97% (highest mark for a Wii game);N-Gamer 98% (highest ever mark for any Nintendo game in history);NL 10/10 (best reviewers of the lot obviously);IGN 10/10 (they dislike the Wii);Gamespot 10/10 (6th game ever to get 10)Edge Magazine 100% (and they are a very wierd bunch)"

Wow, Galaxy 2 is really that good? In that case, there is NO excuse NOT to get this for my birthday. This looks just too awesome to be true.

Great review Mr. Corbie. I'm picking this up as soon as I can. The original is my favorite wii game if not my favorite game of all time. I cant think of game that I played more than the original. I would like to see more behind the scenes for this game. Who made it, what was their thought pattern? So psyched!

I am seriously going to be living in a cardboard box on a curb, with only my Wii, DS and a TV to my name, siphoning some random company's electricity by the end of this year. There are so many great games coming out, and ones that are out, this year than any year this generation.

@corbie Please could you answer my question about the purple coin missions and I also have another question. ONM said that because of it's difficulty its best to complete the first game before this and I have around 80 stars at the moment and I'm not sure if I'll have them all by the time the sequel comes out. Do you think it would still be alright to get it on the day it comes out.

i am not gonna be able to get off of the couch for awhile, with this masterpiece shipping yesterday, and set to arrive tommorow, an Modnation racers on tuesday, I'm gonna be ovewhelmed with video game awesomeness!

Already my favorite game with less then 5 hours of play time!Definitly a 10/10.Yoshi is soooooooo awesome. If there is anything I don't like about the game, its that they took the ice power up out. But thats ok since the new power ups are awesome.

This has to be very very different from the first one if it is any good. I don't see how they can change it that much to make it fun. The first had little to no fun in it. I will not get cheated out of my money again nintendo.

I will rent from library, save 50$ and avoid another dust collector. That is what happens with all my games. I never replay them. I win get all stars and have not interest in them. Renting from library is the way to go.!!! and if you dont finish, just rent again later or from a video rental for 3$.Also, my favorite 3D mario is Sunshine. Not the whole game though. Those levels called "The Secret of" Levels. oh ..those were awesome. Just platforming in its purist. I have always been longing for Mario "The Secret of" game with level editor/ sharing!!! that would be 10/10 for me!!!

Man i wish the past few days weren't so beautiful cause ive been inside playing this game most of the time. at least it's supposed to thunderstorm tomorrow so at least i wont feel guilty about missing another gorgeous day.

Fantastic, that review was spot on. I can't believe I just spent half my holiday monday glued to the wii. I even had my husband make me dinner and bring me water. He had just as much fun being "player 2"!

I've been playing nearly every day for the past week. Most awesome Mario game ever! If you haven't already, go out and buy this game NOW!!!

The enhanced difficulty level doesn't really seem unfair at all, and my game has improved considerably as a result. If you don't believe me, try replaying the original Mario Galaxy after having mastered the second. My only complaint is some of the timed levels (example: Chimp and Gearmo challenges) just don't seem to be possible to do in the amount of time given. Because you now have to stop to collect clocks on the speed-run missions, the absolute fastest speed-paths through a level are often now impractical if they require bypassing key routes which contain time-clocks. But the time-limited levels of the first Galaxy were some of the hardest for me along with the purple star coin missions.

But my own shortcomings are no excuse to bash what is by far the best Mario game ever. You owe it to yourself to buy this game!!! 15 stars out of 10!!!

Best game I have EVER played! BUT I wish those long winded dialogues were shippable! Right? You hear it once, why subjugate you to the same 4 panel dialog over and over when you just want to transfer your starbitts to the next player?

If memory recalls I read an article (published on this site, I think) where Miyamoto was reported as saying, earlier in the development phase, that the sequel would have 90% new ideas, or some thing like that. And I thought it was a joke. Or maybe even over-confidence. Didn't seem like a very modest or Japanese-like thing to say at the time. But he was right. I'll never doubt him again.

This game is absolutely awesome, full of new ideas and impeccable design; the intuitive controls have been expanded and controlling Yoshi feels great . I'm only about six hours in, but I can safely say that this is the best platform game I've ever played; the best sequel I've ever played; hopefully when I've completed it the best game I've ever played.

I know finding time to eat and sleep is gonna be problematic this weekend!

What surprises me is that in this review (not looking at the game in general) that technical audio sound is mentioned, mostly I read things about how good the music is etc. But what many people forget is the sound itsself that is based on Home Cinema experiences. Nintendo may have many critics about the least best console in many options, but it is the best when you look at sound experience, Dolby Pro Logic II is fully integrated with games since the Cube, while other consoles arent fully Dolby optimised (ofcourse you can play the sounds on your home cinema system 5.1 or higher, but the consoles arent optimised to the true Dolby Pro Logic tech. instead they are based on normal Dolby Digital) On that part Nintendo has its better parts.I play my games mostly in 5.1 since I bought a good 5.1 set (no not one of those retail or Bose sets) I mean a real set of speakers and woofer. It realy shows how Nintendo is pointing on sound.

I still need to get this, this is probably the 1st major game from Nintendo that I didnt buy on day I in a long long long time I mean by Mario Zelda Metroid. Still will get it though and hopefully I can get other M right away.

I would give Super Mario Galaxy 2 a 100/10 even though that is impossible. It is my favourite game of all time and I have entered every competition I could find to try and win this game. In one of the comps I came 2nd and only 1st place won Super Mario Galaxy 2. I was crushed.

I guess I'll mostly just echo what everyone else in the entire universe says: Mario Galaxy is epic win.

I would rate it a 9.5/10. I gleefully shave 0.5 off just for the insultingly easy Bowser battle at the end. I felt like there was so much amazing buildup (and a couple really hard bosses) and it culminated into one boring 5-minute battle and a second stage to the battle that didn't last more than 60 seconds. Why Bowser has become such an inconsequential fight lately is beyond me (though he sure was a big jerk in New SMB Wii!).

Still, despite that blemish... best game on the Wii (that I've played). And while the Bowser battle is insultingly easy, world S is disturbingly difficult. I still haven't been able to beat all the levels in it yet.

My only two tiny complaints about SMG2 would be the lack of a story -- I'm one of those ginormous nerds who got chills when the airships attacked the castle in the original -- and the fact that some of the comet challenges were frustratingly difficult, to the point of not being fun at all to me. Other than that, it is a fantastic, innovative game that I still enjoy picking back up from time to time (from a new save file, of course).

@ badmouth, Thats because Mario is and always will be a pure platformer to begin with, storyline isnt the magical ingrediënt of this genre. Though I know there are Mario games that have some more advanced story in it, but I never saw the use of it, because you mostly already knew what would happen also it was mostly akward and not interesting most at the time. I think that many people need to see that Mario is all about mega fun, collecting and puzzle to get that highest 'score' and satisfaction by beating the most difficult missions. If I have to give a score for the genre I would give it a fat 10 if I look as a game like any other 9,5, In my opinion one of the best games if not the best.

I thought it was a wonderful game. It kept me really excited through out the whole time. I really didn't take long for me to beat it, and I don't think I had any troubles with any of the galaxies. Maybe a little. But overall. This game get's the ratings it deserves.